The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-06-11
THE COMMANDMENTS.
EXPLANATION NOTES BY S. J..
CURTlSS, PHI. D., D. D.
Lesson Nj of the International Series
Second Quarter, for sunday, June II.
Text of the Lesson, EN. Xxx, Ill.
Golden Text, Mat. xii, 81.

Second Quarter, for sunday, June II.
Text of the Lesson, Ex. Xxx, Ill.
Golden Text, Mat. xii, 81.
Mount Sinai. Our lesson introduces us to
one of the grandest and most solemn scenes
of human history In the third month after
Israel had left Egypt they had reached the
wilderness of Sinai lex. xix, y, which is now
commonly believed on the best authority to
have been the plain of Er Rahah. On the
third day after their arrival, as we may sup
pose, the people were gathered on this plain
Tvs. Is, ~, which was two miles long by half
a mile broad, before Ras Sufsafeh, which is
included under the term Jebel Musa (moun-
tain of Moses. They stand awe struck before
the ma estic displays of the divine power
The mountain is enveloped in thick smoke
There are thunderings and lightnings. A
trumpet sounds. The mountain itself is
shaken, while the people tremble with fear.
These displays are designed to impress them
with the divine holiness and the majesty Of
the law which they are soon to hear.
THE LESSON.
The Author of the Commandments Tvs. I, 3.
The thought expressed is that God Is the
author of the commandments which follow
and of the exact words contained in them
He introduces himself by what might he
called his proper name: II am Jehovah thy
God" Other Semites might speak of their
gods ms Elohim, but we have good reason for
believing that only the Israelites called him
Jehovah (Ex. vi, 3, Revised Version). God
proclaims two facts: l. That he brought
Israel out from Egypt; q That be brought
How Of tba hnpSa IF hnnlnun Israel
could not have escaped from Egypt or have
broken the yoke Of servitude by their own
power. 1t was only by means of the ten
plaques that they were enabled to cut Loose
from their masters lex vii, A. In another
place ZEN xix, y God tells his people how he
had borne them on eagles wings. Just as
the mother bird who is training the eaglet to
fly supports il when it is weary, SO God had
borne Israel. Compare Duet. xxi, ~
The First Commandment ". S-1n the
first commandment God tells his people that
they were to have no other gods beside
him (Rcv ed Version, margin) This com.
m1nd was necessary on account OF the ex-
ample of all nations that were around them,
who had numerous deities, and on account Of
the tendencies of the Israelites themselves to
dolatry. The ancestors of Abraham in their
home, Ur of the Challees, were idolators nc.
cording to the clear testimony Of scripture
(Jo,h. xiv, y. Jacob had to be at pains to root
dolatry out of his family Gen. xxxv, p; and
it appears that the l,raetes were idolators
in Egypt Josh. xiv, II, 10; Eek. Xxx, Ono.
Until after the Babylonian captivity this was
the greatest temptation TO which Gods people
were exposed and under which they often
rcll hence the Importance of this command.
The Second Commandment Tvs. 40. The
second commandment is directed against the
making of images Here carved images are
specified although the Hebrew word pa sci
also includes images which are run in
mold. All kinds of image making then are
excluded They were not to make the like
ness of any form that is in heaven above.
One of the Egyptian deities was RIA, the sun.
They ana the ancient Chaldeans worshipeh
the moongoi Tho sacred writers found it
necessary to warn Israel against the worship
of the sun and moon and all the host of
heaven, as the stars (Deut. iv, 10; II Kings
xiii, -.
Many of the idols were representations OF
animals. Such was the case among the Egyp-
tians, who had their sacred bulls, and even
cats--not to speak of other animals-to
WHICH tneS IeliSftu uNlne honoto. AS'Sh
the sea furnished objects of worship to some
peoples, in the shape Of animals either real or
imaginary
God exhibits both sides Of his character in
the second commandment. We read in the
New Testament that God is love Il John iv,
lG. The Old Testament really reveals him
in the same character lex xxxiv, o. But
| that love is turned into jealousy when he sees
his covenant people Israel leaving him for
| the idols of the heather. He is represented
| rs visiting the iniquity OF the fathers upon
| the shildren unto the third and fourth gem
GRAFTON of those who Late him In doing this
| he simply allows the children to suffer the
| consequences of the SINS of their parents.
This is natural law whose working could
not be changed without miracle. Children
now suffer for the sins Of their parents They
suffer in reputation. The child Of the gam
bier, the drunkard, the fallen, has al inher-
itance of shame, and too often sees the finger
of scorn pointed at him. They suffer in
health. Some are born with an Unsuitable
thirst fvt drink, others with ruined constitu-
tons, others with the marks OF infamy in
their faces, because Of the transgression OF
their parents. God in visiting punishment
' upon the Children of idolaterS unto the third